


per aspera ad astra

by ultmyouimina



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 07:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12008385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultmyouimina/pseuds/ultmyouimina
Summary: "non est ad astra mollis e terris via"-lucius annaeus seneca(there is no easy way from the earth to the stars)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i got inspired by the quote so here's something

**9 FEBRUARY 1986**

momo loved the stars.

she'd been fascinated with them since she was three years old, after her mother had taken her on a trip to the countryside and they'd seen the milky way then. she remembered the way she reached out, drawn to them. she lay on her back with her mother beside her, pointing out the different constellations.

her favourite, of course, was scorpius, since she was a scorpio.

it was this love for astronomy that brought five year old momo out of the house that very night, lugging her clunky telescope along. she wasn't supposed to be out that late, her parents had forbid it after a recent series of late-night burglaries had plagued the neighborhood. she'd read in the papers though, that there'd be a comet, halley's comet, passing through that night and she wouldn't have missed it for the world.

she lay down on her belly in the grass, fixes her eye over the eyepiece and adjusts the telescope.

"two minutes," she whispers to herself.

she shifts around in the grass some more, kicking out with her pudgy legs to find a comfortable position.

that's when she accidentally kicks too far, her socked feet finding purchase on what feels like bone.

momo flips over and gets onto her feet immediately, ready to pounce on a potential burglar, but is surprised when she comes face to face with a little girl just like her.

the girl is skinny, and her legs are a little longer than momo's. she looks about momo's age, except her eyes are too bright, as though they hold a thousand stars in them. her hair is tied neatly into two braids and her dress, although rather odd looking, is pretty. she grins at momo, revealing a set of very large front teeth.

they eye each other curiously, neither of them wanting to speak. but momo has always been one to be nosy, so she addresses the strange girl.

"how did you get into my garden?"

the girl doesn't answer, just squats down and paws at the soil, giggling as she feels the warm earth come loose under her fingers.

momo tries again.

"what's your name?"

the girl is scooping up handfuls of dirt now, tossing them up in the air and leaning down to sniff at the grass.

she's odd, momo thinks.

momo taps the girl on the shoulder, finally capturing her attention. she flinches away from the contact, her eyes wide as though she was just noticing momo.

momo gives her a toothy grin. one of her teeth is missing, she'd knocked it out when she fell over the other day. (she didn't tell anyone that she'd done it on purpose to get money from the tooth fairy.)

"i'm momo," she says, stretching out a hand towards the girl.

the girl doesn't seem to understand, she pats momo on the head and stands, walking towards momo's front door.

momo follows, almost falling over as she tries to catch up with the girl who's walking remarkably quickly. her legs aren't very long yet, although her father tells her with a kiss on the cheek that they'll grow soon enough.

the girl doesn't notice momo telling her to wait up, and doesn't seem to care that she tracks soil and dirt into the hallway as she enters momo's home either.

"mama will scold you for that." momo says, pointing at the mess the girl had left behind.

the girl ignores momo, instead taking her time to explore momo's living room, peering around inquisitively. she eventually finds the couch, and sits down on it with a soft giggle. she pats the cushions around her, running the fabric under her fingers. momo takes it as an invitation to sit, and she plops herself down beside the girl.

"what's your name?" momo asks again.

the girl finally decides to reply, her eyes shining as she hugs a cushion close to her chest.

"my name is nayeon."

the girl's voice is sharp and clear. she speaks with the perfect articulation of an adult, but something about her voice remains child-like and unfamiliar.

momo repeats the name, feeling a smile creep onto her face.

"i'll call you nayeonnie! we'll be best friends."

with that, she drags the girl up the stairs and into her room.

"where do you live, nayeonnie?"

nayeon leads momo over to the window and points up at the sky.

"there," she says.

"you're from the sky?" momo frowns at her, wondering if she should've left the girl alone out in the garden instead.

nayeon nods enthusiastically, gesturing wildly at the stars.

"how did you get here then?"

nayeon frowns, as though she's trying to remember. she eventually gives up, shrugging and laying down on the carpet.

momo joins her on the floor, she's tired but curious. she pokes nayeon on the cheek, earning a giggle from the girl.

"so are you an alien then, miss nayeonnie?"

nayeon shrugs again, her attention focused on the carpet beneath her.

momo pokes nayeon's face and runs a hand down nayeon's braids.

"you look the same as me though, and you don't feel slimy. i've seen aliens on TV, they're all slimy."

nayeon shrugs, humming quietly to herself as she wiggles her toes.

"you made me miss the comet, but i'll forgive you because your eyes are pretty."

nayeon doesn't reply, just looks over at her with those shining eyes.

momo didn't really feel like talking anymore, so she nestles closer to nayeon and falls asleep. she falls asleep dreaming of a little girl who fell from the stars, and in her opinion it's one of the best dreams she's ever had in her five years of life.

__________________________________________

when she wakes, she's relieved to find that nayeon is still there, humming quietly to herself again.

"do you want to brush your teeth, miss alien? i'll share my toothbrush with you."

momo's mother had told her sharing toothbrushes was dirty, but she was only five so she reckoned that it was fine.

momo shares her little stool with nayeon, they're both too short to reach over the edge of the sink comfortably. they're balancing precariously in the tiny space as they brush their teeth. nayeon is new to it apparently, since she tries to stick the whole toothbrush down her throat and ends up gagging, coughing up flecks of toothpaste with tears in her eyes.

momo giggles, and turns nayeon to face her. she brushes nayeon's teeth for her, taking extra care to brush her two front teeth twice.

"are big bunny teeth an alien thing?" she asks, earning another shrug from nayeon.

momo presses her index and middle finger onto nayeon's front teeth with a giggle.

"let's go get breakfast."

__________________________________________

as it turns out, no one else can see nayeon.

she'd marched proudly into the dining room for breakfast, announcing that they needed to set a place for her new best friend nayeonnie.

her parents exchanged looks, staring doubtfully at momo.

"there's nobody here, honey. don't tell me you haven't gotten over your imaginary friends, i thought we were done with that." her father had said.

confused, she claps nayeon on the back, sending the girl tottering forward a few paces.

"she's right here! she came from the stars."

her parents exchange another look, but begrudgingly set a place for nayeon, who, for the life of them they cannot see.

"why can't they see you?" momo asked when they were back in the privacy of her room.

"only one." was all nayeon said.

momo pouted. it wasn't fair, she was definitely over her imaginary friends phase and now everyone would think she was off her rockers.

"why?"

nayeon pats her on the cheek, grinning as she replies.

"special."

momo grins back, her hands finding nayeon's.

__________________________________________

nayeon doesn't know how to speak in full sentences, momo learns. she understands english well enough, but isn't able to speak more than a few words at a time.

"it's okay nayeonnie," momo had said. "i understand you perfectly."

they're back on the floor again, only this time they're staring up at the model planets hanging from momo's ceiling.

"can you do anything special? since you're from the stars?"

nayeon looks at her reluctantly, but momo pokes her cheeks and she relents. nayeon's cheeks were her favourite thing now (and nayeon might just be her favourite person even if no one else could see her).

nayeon shuts her eyes and cups momo's hands within hers, bringing them up to her throat. she hums, the vibrations from her throat tickling momo's fingertips as she squeals and tries to pull away. but nayeon is strong, and she holds momo's hands to her throat for awhile longer. eventually she decides that it's enough, and releases momo's hands.

sitting in her palm is a tiny box. momo stares at it, confused until nayeon reaches over and taps the sides twice. soft music plays, it fills the room and momo can hardly tell that it's coming from the box itself. momo recognises the melody, it's the one nayeon has been humming. the sound is high and clear, much like nayeon's voice. it sounds a bit like a music box, but more gentle and the notes are a thousand times richer.

momo relaxes, falling back onto the carpet with a contented smile as she hugs the box closer to her chest.

"i could listen to this all day. i'll call it nayeon's song, because it sounds nicer that way."

nayeon smiles down at her, eager to show her more.

"one more." she says.

nayeon puffs out her cheeks and squeezes her eyes shut in concentration. she takes hold of momo's hands, and momo gasps.

she sees a completely different place. it's bright and everything is tinted with a light shade of pink. the ground shimmers slightly, as though it's a hologram that might fade away at the slightest touch. she hears the faint cries of children playing, and giggles that sound a lot like nayeon's. there are no trees around, no flowers and no grass either. the landscape is a glittering pink that's barren, sporting only odd looking buildings. the people walk, except it looks more like they're walking on air, their feet floating an inch above the ground. they're all tall and lanky, all the little girls with the same two braids and the little boys with the same hair, pushed to one side and gelled down. it's nothing futuristic like they show on TV, no fancy spaceships or cars but momo cant be disappointed when the view is absolutely breathtaking. the stars from here seem closer and larger, more real. it's as if you could reach out and take them from their place in the sky. everything is magnified, and momo is completely blown away. she imagined that this was what walking into heaven looked like.

nayeon lets go of her hands, and the image disappears. she's panting, bracing her hands against the carpet as she tries to catch her breath.

"pretty," momo breathes, touching nayeon's shoulder to make sure she's okay. "is that home?"

nayeon looks up at momo and nods.

"home." she agrees with a toothy smile aimed at momo.

momo falls asleep next to nayeon every night, and she's beginning to think that home is right there in nayeon's arms.

__________________________________________

momo releases nayeon's hand, lifting up the paper for nayeon to see. she'd traced the shape of nayeon's hand with a pink crayon, just like she used to do with her mother.

she places the paper back on the ground, slapping her hand down onto the space where nayeon's handprint is.

"see? our hands fit perfectly together. we're perfect."

in truth, momo's hands are a tad bit smaller, but if she stretches her fingers out enough, she can just touch the tip of the crayon lines.

"perfect." nayeon agrees, although she's more occupied with the pink crayon.

momo teaches nayeon how to dance. or rather, how to twirl. they spin round and round the room to the music in their heads, eventually collapsing in a heap on top of one another in a fit of giggles and dizzy breathlessness.

momo attacks nayeon with tickles, and the girl squeals as she kicks back at momo. they both end up side by side, giddy with excitement.

nayeon tugs at momo's hand, pointing out at the garden.

"you want to go out?"

nayeon nods, pulling momo up to her feet.

they run down the street with careless abandon, their feet bare on the hot concrete. momo stops and picks out a flower.

"flower." she says, extending the white daisy to nayeon.

"flower." the girl echoes with a laugh, spinning the daisy round between her fingers.

it excites momo, having a friend who she could show things to. she makes it a quest to teach nayeon everything.

__________________________________________

they're on the roof this time, momo with her telescope on her right and nayeon on her left. she winds a short arm across nayeon's neck, her tiny hands coming to rest on nayeon's shoulder.

nayeon leans down with a sigh, fitting her head into the crook of momo's neck.

they sit there for a long time, watching the sunset and the moonrise. eventually, they're surrounded by stars again.

"i wish the stars weren't so far." momo sighs, a wistful edge to her voice.

nayeon reaches out, making a scooping motion with her hand, as though she's trying to take the stars out of the sky. momo laughs.

"you can't do that nayeonnie i've tried."

sometimes momo forgets that nayeon wasn't like her.

nayeon turns to momo with a big smile on her face. in her cupped hands are what looks like a tiny piece of the night sky. it looks like a puddle of blackish-blue water with glitter in it, except when momo touches it it's cold and the image disperses like a gas before reassembling itself.

momo is entranced. she scoots closer to nayeon and stares back up at the sky. it looks exactly the same, except that the stars are missing in a tiny spot.

nayeon carefully pours the piece of the sky into momo's waiting hands, making sure not to spill any part of it. it slides onto momo's palms like a cold piece of jelly, trembling ever so slightly as her breaths hit its surface.

nayeon blows at the piece of sky in momo's hands, and it disappears in an instant, replacing itself up in the sky. she makes sure the stars are back in the right place before she turns back to momo with shining eyes, her two front teeth poking out through her smile.

momo's mother had told her that an "i love you" wasn't something to be given out easily, that love was reserved for special people only.

momo, however, doesn't hesitate when she leans over, planting a kiss on nayeon's cheek and declaring boldly, "i love you nayeonnie. with all my heart."

nayeon is about to say it back, when momo claps a hand over her mouth.

"you can't say it unless you mean it nayeonnie. you don't know anything yet so i've got to protect you from things like that. love is reserved for special people only, mama told me."

nayeon just hums, busying herself with scooping new handfuls out of the sky for momo to explore.

__________________________________________

"those are strawberries." momo says, pointing to the red fruit that nayeon's stuffing into her mouth at an alarmingly rapid pace.

nayeon stops her guzzling for a second to fix momo with a bright smile.

"i love strawberries." is all she says before she returns to devouring the whole plate of fruit.

momo frowned. "love is for special people only, nayeonnie. you can't give it away so easily."

nayeon nods, placing another strawberry into her mouth.

"you're my favourite star, do you know that nayeonnie?"

nayeon nods again half heartedly, more interested in the strawberries she's holding.

momo stares fondly at her new best friend, she'd decided that they were soulmates.

__________________________________________

there was something important that momo had conveniently ignored. nayeon had to go home one day.

"must you go?" she asks, tears stinging the back of her eyes.

"must go." nayeon replies, nodding her head.

they stand in the garden, both with teary eyes and nayeon clasping in her hands a white daisy. she'd promised momo she'd take it home, since there were no flowers where she lived.

momo didn't want nayeon to forget her, and nayeon didn't want to forget momo either.

momo sighed, touching nayeon's face with the tips of her fingers. she didn't want nayeon to go, they were supposed to be soulmates.

"i'll miss you so much, nayeonnie. be safe, okay?"

nayeon nods, pulling momo into a tight hug. she hums her song for momo, pressing yet another box into her hands when they break apart.

"you're my best friend, nayeonnie."

"you too momo."

momo stares into the box, sniffling loudly as she wipes her nose with the back of her hand. inside the box swims a piece of the night sky, she recognises the constellation in it.

"pegasus." she marvels.

nayeon nods with a smile, "home." she says, tapping the transparent lid of the box.

nayeon leans in, pressing a kiss onto each of momo's cheeks before pulling her in for a last hug.

"i love you momo." she sighs, burying her face into the girl's hair. "and strawberries." she adds as an afterthought.

momo laughs through the tears that are rolling down her cheeks.

"you'll come and visit, right nayeonnie?"

nayeon nods, patting momo on the head.

"i'll find you." she promises.

and just like that, the air shimmers slightly around her figure and nayeon disappears, momo's fingers clutching at empty air.

momo stumbles back into her room, wiping away tears and choking back sobs. she was only five, a sheltered kid who hadn't experienced real loss until tonight. she didn't imagine that it would hurt this much, that her heart would ache like that.

she curls up on the carpet in her room, holding the little box with her piece of sky in it.

her favourite constellation isn't scorpius anymore.

she falls asleep eventually, and nayeon stays true to her word.

nayeon finds her in her dreams that night, holding a bunch of white daisies in one hand and strawberries in the other. she drops the daisies when she sees momo, beckoning to the girl. it's a pleasant dream, a welcome relief from the heartache of losing nayeon.

she runs towards nayeon, encompassing her in a tight hug. together they run amongst the stars, exploring every inch of the galaxy. momo has never felt happier than she was in the moment.

the sun is rising, its light outshining the stars. soon it'd be morning and the stars would no longer be visible.

"must go back." nayeon says solemnly, patting momo on the back as she pulls her in for a hug.

momo clings onto the girl, fresh tears springing to her eyes again at the thought of nayeon leaving once more.

"can't i stay with you nayeonnie?"

"can't. you can't go back if you stay."

momo clutches nayeon closer.

"i dont want to go back. i like this dream, i never want to wake up."

she pulls nayeon along, further into the brightening sky.

momo doesn't wake up the next morning. her parents find her on the floor, cold and still, holding an empty box in her clenched fist. she's not breathing.

they hold momo's body as they cry, weeping for the loss of their only child.

momo looks down at them from the sky, she's frowning. "don't cry!" she wants to shout. "i'm right here with nayeonnie!"

__________________________________________

momo and nayeon grow up together, running amongst the night sky, each step leaving behind a trail of stars, constructing new constellations for humans to marvel at.

"do you want to go back?"

fifteen years had passed, and momo was free to leave if she wanted to.

momo shakes her head, taking nayeon's hand and planting a gentle kiss on her lips. her hand circles around nayeon's waist as the girl presses closer to her, kissing her back softly. she tastes like strawberries, and it's momo's favourite thing in the world. momo tucks a loose strand of hair behind nayeon's ear as she stares into her eyes. they still shine as brightly as they did years ago, if not brighter.

"we're soulmates, remember?"


	2. epilogue

**12 JANUARY 2007**

even the stars can't keep them together forever.

nayeon clings onto momo, tears sliding down her cheeks as she kisses her for the last time.

"i love you."

momo smiles, she doesn't reply but reaches out to wipe the tears off nayeon's face.

"you'll find me again, i know you will." she says.

nayeon knows that she will, that she'll look for momo in the next life and in all their lives after that.

she leans down to press a kiss to momo's forehead, loosening her grip on the girl.

and then she's gone, falling through the stars and blazing a trail through the night sky.

from the earth, it would look just like a comet passing through. they named it the great comet of 2007, the second brightest in over 40 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got the info about the comets from wikipedia so im sorry if it's wrong


End file.
